For A.J. Allmendinger, almost twenty years of NASCAR racing haven’t erased the memory of Dale Earnhardt Jr flashing his middle finger out of a window during a race.
The veteran Xfinity Series driver, dubbed one of the most underrated drivers, has been part of the NASCAR ecosystem since 2006, spanning multiple teams, cars, and eras. But even after all the laps, interviews, and wrecks, one unanswered question has been living rent-free in his head since his early Cup Series days, and this week, he finally got to ask it.
Allmendinger appeared on The Athletic‘s ongoing interview series, where a rotating group of NASCAR drivers answer the same set of personal and professional questions. He was chosen to conclude his session by asking a question to the next guest.
That next guest happened to be Dale Jr., and Allmendinger didn’t hesitate. “Why did he always flip me off when we were racing against each other?” Allmendinger asked to wrap up the session.
Although there’s no well-known moment of Earnhardt flipping him off on camera, their tension leaves a distinct mark in NASCAR history. One of the most memorable crashes occurred during the 2014 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.
Allmendinger led 35 of the first 53 laps, and the broadcast crew was already predicting a top-three finish for him. However, during a front-stretch restart, contact involving Earnhardt Jr. caused Allmendinger to spin out, ending his chances. He went from a potential winner to 37th place, while Earnhardt Jr. finished third behind Carl Edwards and Jeff Gordon.
Two years later, the duo encountered each other again during a race that would greatly influence Earnhardt Jr.’s life. At the 2016 Cup Series race in Michigan, Earnhardt attempted to navigate through two cars in a three-wide lane, but Chris Buescher bumped his left rear, resulting in a collision with Allmendinger’s No. 47 car.
Both slammed into the wall in a violent chain reaction. Earnhardt later said that he believed Allmendinger knew he was going to hit the wall, alluding to the intentional move.
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Allmendinger wasn’t sure what happened, saying afterward, “I think Junior got hit, and I was on the outside of him, and that was it. It was weird back there. I’m not really sure what kind of car we had. I thought we weren’t too bad in clean air, but I guess many people could say that. Just not a lot of fun racing there.”
Earnhardt Jr. tried to race through it all, but by July 2016, he announced he was experiencing concussion-related symptoms linked to the Michigan crash, effectively ending his season. Though he returned briefly in 2017, he soon made the call to retire from full-time racing, citing his health and family as the deciding factors.
Allmendinger’s question may have been a joke between racers or something deeper. Either way, the answer will surely be found in the next series installment.